


Quiet family dinner

by avrelia



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 07:10:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18734131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avrelia/pseuds/avrelia
Summary: About three years in the future after events of Smoke and Shadow comics, Mai and Zuko started dating again. Now Mai invites Zuko home for dinner. Nothing much happens.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It is a part of my head canon that I am slowly writing. Snippets of life with lots of talking in random order. I hope eventually I write it all and put in chronological order.
> 
> Day 2: Quiet

Mai loves quiet. She is pretty good at it, always has been. It was her natural state, her strength and her weakness both. It was always so easy to keep quiet, to slip into silence, to pretend she isn’t there, that she doesn’t exist. There was a point in time when she believe if she pretend long enough, it would come true. There was a point in time when she wanted to. To not exist. To not care. To dissolve into silence. But her quiet was also a perfect hiding place for all the thoughts she was not supposed to to have. For all the feelings she didn’t want to feel. It was a good place to start an ambush from. Nobody could hear her knives until it was too late. Knives were quiet. They were always there for her. 

She loved different kinds of quiet. Sitting in her room with a book. Or watching the moon. Or practicing with the knives really quietly. Or climbing the Fire Palace top spire and sitting there quiet and alone. Or sitting there with Zuko, who, surprisingly, was also good at being quiet. At least when they were together. It was good to sit quietly with Zuko anywhere else, too. When they were kids, and later. Quiet was comfortable, it was when they started talking things were awkward. Even later, after the war when they made an effort to talk, to tell each other everything, it was too easy to slip into comfortable silence, with cuddles and the rest and avoid all the difficult talking. 

Now they started talking again. More than three years after their last breakup. When Mai allowed herself to admit that there never going to be anyone else. She didn’t want and didn’t need anyone else and if so, they may as well to try to work things out again. And if they cannot, she wasn’t afraid to be alone, these years taught her that at least. 

They walked together, and talked a lot. Not so much about past, but about present, and a little bit of future. They tried to keep things as friendly as possible, without rushing in. But of course too soon Mai couldn’t help herself and kissed him. She needed to know, she tried to explain it to herself, that nothing had changed. And it mostly didn’t. All the best parts were there, just as she remembered. The sweetness, the joy, the slight mutual clumsiness, the smiles she could drown it. But there also was a new hunger she didn’t remember. The hunger that called to her own hunger that she pretended didn’t exist. 

But the was also the quiet Mai hated – the quiet of family dinners. Dinners in her family were supposed to be examples of elegant propriety and polite conversation with selected people. In fact, no one was able ever to say anything, because nothing was ever polite and proper enough. Of course, Mai never was present during the dinners with important guests – the fortunate circumstance since Mai believed they were even more boring. But even with only her family present, they were full of dreadful, empty quiet. Unless her mother’s brother and sister joined them. Then the dinners became more dreadful but less quiet, because her uncle considered gruesome prison anecdotes to be proper dinner amusement, and her aunt Mura loved to flaunt social conventions a little to annoy her proper younger sister. Mai would have been amused, but since her mother couldn’t rule over her older siblings, Mai was getting the full weight of Michi’s ire – at anything she may had done or not done. The only thing was to stop caring and pay attention to food. At least food was always excellent. 

Now, this dinner was going to be different. First, with all the changes in the family and their social position her mother had long given up on caring about proper conversation, and aunt Mura was always here to provide amusement, even if it was for her own benefit, and second, Mei invited Zuko over as her boyfriend. For the first time ever. Of course, they were dating three years ago, and before, and everyone knew that, but she mostly kept him away from her family, save from occasional encounters and Tom-Tom’s babysitting. Her main reasoning was – what for? If she didn’t enjoy spending time with her parents why would she inflict them on Zuko? Not to mention her uncle. That would be way too awkward for anyone to enjoy except maybe Aunt Mura.

Now was different. Now Mai wanted to establish a new beginning. And Zuko was coming over, awkward or not. At the very least Mai was confident – it’s not going to be dreadfully quiet. Or boring. Not after the dinner, anyway. 

When Mai explained her plan to Zuko he made a face. 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“What are you afraid of? Mother is never rude to royalty, and aunt Mura is mostly well-meaning.”

Zuko scoffed. “Not afraid, just seems… weird. To talk to your mom at dinner, then go and spend the night with you.” 

“Well, not talking to her would be really rude, and you don’t have to stay if you don’t want.”

“Hey! You were the one who wanted to take things slowly.”

“I can’t get more slowly than that.” Mai made a tiny step forward and caught Zuko in her embrace. “This is already way too slow for me.” She leaned in and kissed him. If there were any other objections or doubts they were forgotten by the time the kiss ended. They looked into each other breathing heavily, then Zuko kissed her again and she felt herself melting happily away. 

“You keep doing that, it will be impossible to wait for that dinner.” Mai wasn’t sure which one of them said it. 

 

Mother didn’t say anything at all when Mai announced that Zuko would come for an informal dinner and stay for a while afterwards. She sighed, and pursed her lips, and continued to busy herself with a flower arrangement. Arranging flowers had became her favorite method of coping with the world. Aunt Mura winked and asked whether Mai needed help. 

The next day Zuko was at their door in his nicest informal attire, without a crown in his topknot and with two baskets. 

“What’s in there?” Mai pointed at the baskets.

“Oh, that’s tea cakes, here.” Zuko passed her the smaller basket. “Sonam, the palace cook was happy to make something for you. She knows how you appreciate her art.” Mai smiled and looked inside: there indeed were rows of tiny tea cakes made in forms of fruit and flowers. 

“I really do. I hope you’ll give her my thanks.”

“I almost asked for a fruit tart, but...”

“and I am glad you thought better of it. What’s in the second one?”

“It’s Druk. I can’t leave him alone for long.” Zuko opened it, and Mai saw a red baby dragon looking at her with interest.  
“Hello, Druk. Let’s go in, Zuko.”

After initial formalities the dinner moved into its awkwardly quiet phase. Michi frowned but didn’t say anything either to her or to Zuko, mostly only concerning herself with Tom-Tom’s proper table manners. Auntie Mura looked from Mai to Zuko and was trying hard to keep herself from giggling. In fact, Mai found she almost wanted to giggle herself. She didn’t though. 

Mai went through several polite topics for conversations and discarded all of them. She was comfortable enough in this awkward silence, and she couldn’t imagine what to have a pleasant chat with her mother about. With Zuko she could talk about anything, just not at the moment, and aunt Mura could provide her own entertainment herself. And of course, inevitably, she did.

“How’s life at the palace, Fire lord?” aunt Mura asked Zuko.

“Just Zuko, please. And it’s ok, I guess. Better than could be.” Mai could see significant improvements in Zuko’s art of polite conversations. He now could use several words at once. 

“Do you travel much?”

“Not really. There is state business, of course, and I visit my mom in Hira’a occasionally. I cannot just go and travel here and there.”

“a pity. But hey! You traveled all over the world when you were younger!” Aunt Mura accepted good taste only in flower arrangements and food. 

“yeah.”

“Do you know, Mai did a Big Tour a couple of years ago with Ty Lee? Visited Earth Kingdom and all kids of places.”

“Except for Omashu. Can’t stand that city.” Mai decided to enter.

“Yes, I’ve heard.” 

“Was it fun?” Auntie looked at Mai.

“Yes, actually. We had a pretty good time. Saw some old friends, made some new ones. Well, Ty Lee did, mostly. The people generally are wary of Fair Nation, but didn’t even pay attention to two girls.”

Zuko laughed out loud. “They are sorely mistaken.”

“Well, yes, they should have learned by now. One would think after we captured Ba Sing Se with Azula… oh, well that’s Earth Kingdom for you: persistent even in mistakes.”

“Did you visit Ba Sing Se?”

“Yes, Ty Lee insisted. She really wanted to befriend that bear.”

“What about you?”

“I don’t care about the bear. .. But I did give the populace some knife-throwing lessons.” She smiled at Zuko and he smiled back, both remembering the same moment. 

The dinner was moving smoothly, much to Mai’s surprise, when aunt Mura decided she had to up the entertainment. She turned to Zuko and said looking straight at him,

“So, planning on producing a royal heir any time soon? Asking as a concern citizen.”

“Not at the moment, no.”

Mai glanced at him and was weirdly proud that he managed to say it with a straight face.

Zuko caught her glance and smiled; she answered with her own tiny smile. There will be no royal heirs any time soon if they can help it, but well… she didn’t finish the thought when her mother asked, even more inappropriately:

“So, what are you intentions, Fire lord?”

Mai interceded. “Mother, stop it! Or I will be telling of my intentions. In details.” 

Mother pursed her lips in annoyance. “Fine. You are doing whatever you wish anyway. But there is the proper way, remember?”

“I remember, and I don’t care. Not like we are a proper family. Not like we should be.”

Zuko tried to say something, but caught looks from Mai, her mother, and aunt, and thought better.   
of it. 

For some time the familiar cold quiet reigned over the dinner table. Almost comfortable after the outburst. Then there was sneezing and grumbling and various noises from the basket that Zuko brought with him.

“It’s the baby dragon!” Tom-Tom screamed excitedly and ran to look into the basket.

“I can’t believe you brought it with you!” Mother sighed, rather stoically for her.

“He is a baby, I can’t just leave him alone yet. Besides, no one really knows how to raise dragons any more.”

“Be careful, TomTom! He can breathe fire at you, you don’t want to burn your face.” Aunt Mura said.

Zuko winced slightly. “He doesn’t actually breath fire yet, but since we don’t know when he is supposed to start, it’s best to keep away from his mouth.” He got up and picked Druk up. “Hi Druk, this is Tom-Tom, he is a friend.” Druk stared at the boy. Tom-Tom smartly moved one step to the side, and waved his hand cautiously. “Hi Druk”

“You haven’t found any books on keeping dragons?” Mai asked.

“No. On wild dragons and hunting them – a lot. Some dragon biology, actually helpful. Some legends, not very helpful. But I haven’t had time to search through all the library yet. And maybe fire sages have some knowledge.”

“Didn’t people who brought say anything?”

“They left some instructions about feeding and such, but I have more questions every day.”

“Strange, really. Wouldn’t they be interested in Druk’s well-being?” 

“I think they were more interested in the challenge. I’ll keep looking.”

“I’ll help you.” 

The dinner moved to the safe topic of dragon-rearing and baby dragon amusements, and Tom-Tom did his best to dispel the previous awkwardness. At times like that Mai wondered how her family managed to raise Tom-Tom to be so… normal. 

After the dinner Mai took Zuko, and dragon in his basket in her room and locked the door. Deep sigh. 

“That was… a dinner.”

“I think it went well.” Zuko settled Druk in the corner of the room. 

“Thanks to Druk” 

“Nothing helps melt the ice like a baby dragon.”

“You are a firebender, Zuko, melting the ice shouldn’t ever be a problem.” She kept standing by the door and looking at him. Zuko was grinning silly. She loved that grin. 

“Only in literal sense.” in two large strides he was back with her. They just stood and grinned at each other seemingly for endless time.

 

They were quiet. Probably. She didn’t really care. 

 

Epilogue.

When they woke up in the morning, Mai discovered that Druk managed to climb in her bed and was sleeping quietly between her and Zuko.


	2. Morning tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mura enjoys her morning tea and snark, nothing happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thematically, the story was finished in chapter 1, but Mura and Michi were dying to talk, so I decided to indulge them.

The morning was well underway when Mai and Zuko showed up for breakfast. Mura cheerfully greeted them and enjoyed watching the young fire lord blushing slightly and her niece doing her best blank stare. She offered them tea and freshly baked buns and decided to let them be. Tom-Tom stomped in, carrying the baby dragon, Michi walked after him, worried and uncomfortable. It was a really good though noisy morning. 

Tom-Tom announced loudly, “When I am old, twelve or thirteen, I am going to travel the world and find more dragons, so Druk wouldn’t be lonely when he grows up!”

“Could you also look for sky bison along the way? I think Appa will like some company, too.” Zuko asked, turning to the boy. 

“Sure, I’ll find all kids of animals!”

After the baby dragon was fed and played with and returned to its basket, Zuko said his goodbyes and got up to leave, and Mai went to see him out. Tom-Tom stuffed his mouth with buns and ran off the table. Michi moved after him, again, but Mura stopped her. 

“Let’s sit here in peace and quiet, just the two of us. Here, have some tea” She handed a cup to her sister.

Michi sat, sipping the drink, her mind elsewhere…

“What are you so worried about?”

“Don’t you think I have a right to worry as a mother of an unmarried daughter who spends nights with the fire lord?”

“When you put it like that, sure. But really, look at these kids: they are going to be married in year, mark my words. Or, at least, to announce engagement.”

Michi scoffed. “I thought so the last time. Well, he was too young to marry, but I thought – royal engagement will add certainty and decorous status to the whole thing. But no, one day Mai just storms off “We broke up and I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Did she ever told you why?”

“No, she didn’t.” Michi was looking in her tea cup with suspicion.

“But you do know, right?”

“Yes, I asked Ty Lee later. She didn’t like that Zuko didn’t listen to her.”

“Well, you can’t say she was wrong here. I mean Ukano was better off when he was listening to you than when he decided to do his thing..” Mura pondered her selection of buns, took one and moved the plate to Michi.

Michi took one bun and angrily tore into it. “Don’t even remind me.” 

They sat in silence. Mura could still hear Zuko and Mai talking at the door. She didn’t make out the exact words, just quiet voices and laughter.

“Let the kids have some fun before plunging into married life. They are in love, they are happy – I don’t ever remember Mai glowing like that.” 

“What do you know about married life? You never “plunged”.

“Best choice I ever made. But it’s not for everyone. Definitely not for Mai. Your daughter is going to be a great fire lady.”

“My daughter… She hardly talks to me. I have no idea what’s going on in her head. Today she is happy, but how will it last?”

“How long everything lasts?” Mura regarded her little sister with amusement. “You left Ukano after how many years? One day you stand by him through everything, the next day you realize he is not worth it and leave.”

“What else should I have done?”

“Nothing. You were right. But here goes your argument about permanence. Maybe these two will learn how to solve their problems earlier, maybe they’ll learn it later, maybe they’ll crash and burn.” 

Mai reappeared. “I am going to visit the palace tomorrow or the day after. And the next week, if Zuko can free up several days he is planning to fly to Hira’a, to show his mother and Kiyi the dragon.”

“And you?”

“They’ve seen me already.”

“Lady Ursa might have seen you as Azula’s friend, not as her son’s girlfriend. There is a difference.”

Mai shrugged. “I’m going to open the shop.”

Mai left. “More tea?” Mura asked.

“What is with her? Can she talk to me like a daughter? Am I such a horrible mother that I cannot get any normal conversation out of her?”

“I wouldn’t know. I’d say you are better than our mom, but I guess Mai didn’t know her, did she?”

Michi sighed and went to look for Tom-Tom. Mura stayed drinking another cup of tea. She loved living alone, but having her sister and her kids moved in made life so much more entertaining.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that was the first story I finished in years. Yay! Aunt Mura unexpectedly took over the conversationso I had to give her another chapter to talk.


End file.
